This paper has been produced by the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Center for Education Attainment and Innovation as part of the Alternative Credit Project supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.1 It provides context for higher education decision makers by describing the problems caused by fractured credentialing systems, articulating quality dimensions that help to address these problems, and visualizing how institutions can improve their credentials to increase their value while meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders.